Car-buffer.



P. GRBFFIN, GAR BUFFER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 18, 1911.

Patented Sept. 5, 1911.

2 BEBETB-BHEET,-1.

WITNESSES 'P. GREPPIN.

GAR BUFFER. APPLIOATIOH FILED MAR. 18, 1911.

1,002,263, Patented Sept. 5, 1911.

2 Bahama-51111111 a.

WITNESSES PHILIPP GREFFIN, OF WAVERLY, IOWA.

GAR-BUFFER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 18, 1911.

Patented Sept. 5, 1911. Serial No. 615,285.

To all! whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIPP GREFFIN, a subject of the Emperor ofGermany, residing at lVaverly, in the county of Bremer and State ofIowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Buffers;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to car buffers and has for an object to provide abuffer which will be of durable construction and positive in operation.

Another object is to construct a buffer provided with compressionsprings inclosed and protected by a suitable casing connected to therails of the track.

Another object is to provide a buffer of the above stated characterwhich will offer resistance upon the first impact and which will offer astronger resistance to a sudden heavy impact than to a light and steadypressure thereagainst.

A further object is to provide a bufier of the above stated constructionhaving the spring casing secured to the rails in such a manner that anextremely hard and sudden impact against the buffer proper will serve tosever connections between the casing and the rails and allow the entirebufl er or car stopping mechanism to slide a short distance along thetrack until prevented by engagement of a port-ion of the mechanism withthe ties of the track, which engagement will prevent furthor movementand cause the springs to be compressed to their fullest extent.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, Figurel is a side elevation of thebufler connected to a track near the endthereof. Fig. 2 is a front view looking directly at the buffer proper,and,

F 3 is a top plan view partly in section.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 indicates the bufierproper carried by the U- shaped beam 2 connected to the uprights 3 atthe upper ends of the latter. The lower ends of the uprights 3 aresecured to the L- shaped slide bars 4, to which are also connected somedistance in front of the uprights 3, the lower ends of the brace bars5,which have their upper ends secured to the uprights 3 below thebuffer 1. The rear ends of the slide bars 4 are bent at right angles andsecured to the U-shaped front end 6 of the spring casing to be laterdescribed. The

lower ends of the rearwardly and downber 12 having secured thereto nearits opposite ends and upon both sides of the rails 10,

the brackets 13. The brackets 13 are connected with the rails by boltsor other fastoning means 14 passing therethrough and through the rails.The ends 6 and 11 of the spring casing are connected and held in spacedrelation by means of the bolts or pins 15 extending parallel with therails 10. Mounted upon each bolt 15 is a double com pression spring 16,the halves of which are separated by the collar 17 each half extendingfrom the collar 17 to the inner surface of the casing. As it will beunderstood, the rear end 11 of the casing is stationary, while the frontend 6 is slidable longitudinally of the track. The rails 10, as will beseen, pass through openings in the ends 6 and 11, the purpose of whichwill later appear. Hingedly secured to the front end 6 upon its uppersurface is the top 18, the free edge of which rests upon the top surfaceof the rear end 11. slide bars 4 are the L-shaped stop members 19 whichare forced against the sides of the transverse members 9 and carry thelatter toward the end of the track, when an unusually sudden and strongimpact is received by the buffer 1.

Should an engine or car come in contact with the buffer 1 and force saidbuffer rearwardly, the springs 16 will be compressed by means of thefront end 6 being forced against the springs. This compression of thesprings would offer resistance and absorb the shock caused by theimpact, and if the car is traveling at a low speed, the result would bethat the car would stop and move away from the bufi'er 1 without causingany serious damage. Should a train running at Secured to the under sideof the high speed knock against the bufier 1, thus causing an unusualsudden and strong impact, the buffer would move rearwardly and carry theparts connected thereto, as before described. If the shock should bestrong enough to result in breaking the bolts 14 and thus freeing therear end 11 of the spring casing, the entire casing and all of the partsconnected thereto would move toward the end of the track. As soon as therear end 11 of the spring casing moves a slight distance, the L-shapedstop members will engage the sides of the transverse sliding bars 9 andcompel the latter to also move toward the end of the track, offeringstill more resistance. After the slide bars 9 have been forced to move ashort distance, they will come in contact with the ties supporting therails 10 and by the latter, be prevented from further movement. Thiswill prevent the bufler and all of the parts connected therewith fromfurther movement and the reaction of the springs 16 will force thebuffer 1 in a forward direction against the object which caused thebuffer only a few moments before to move rearwardly. Thus, it will beseen, that the shock of the impact will be absorbed and the trainbrought to a stop gradually, preventing any serious damage to therolling stock and any passengers who may be on the train.

During the compression and re-action of the springs 16, the cover 18slides back and forth upon the upper surface of the rear end 11 and themember 12. By means of the bolts 15 being of the proper length, the edgeof the cover 18 is prevented from sliding ofi' of the inner edge of therear end 11 and thus causing damage to the spring casing. Should,however, it be desired to inspect the springs and the interior of thespring casing, access may be had to these parts by raising the cover 18upon its hinge. The weight of the cover 18 will hold the same normallyin closed position.

From the above paragraphs, it will be seen that I have provided a carbuffer and stopping mechanism composed of a comparatively small numberof parts of simple formation. It will also be seen that this buffer carstopping mechanism will be durable and effective in operation.

What I claim is 1. A car stopping mechanism, comprising uprightscarrying at their upper ends a buffer supporter, a buffer secured tosaid buifer supporter, brace members for said uprights, certain of saidbrace members extending in a forward direction and having their lowerends connected with slide bars,

certain of said brace bars extending in a rearward direction and havingtheir lower ends secured to the front of a spring casing, slide barsbelow said buffer, said slide bars having the lower ends of the uprightsconnected therewith and the lower ends of the forwardly extending bracebars, a spring casing having a front end anda rear end, the front endhaving the lower ends of the rearwardly extending brace bars connectedtherewith, compression springs within said casing, connections betweenthe ends of said casing, and connections between the rear end of saidcasing and a track.

2. A car stopping mechanism, comprising slide bars, standards connectedto said slide bars, brace members connected to said slide bars and saidstandards, said slide bars positioned between the rails of a track,compression springs, a casing for said compression springs, one end ofsaid casing being rigidly conected with the rails of the track, theopposite end of said casing being connected with brace bars having theirupper ends connected to the upper ends of the standards, transverseslide members slidably connected to said rails, stop members carried bythe slide bars and adapted to engage the transverse members and forcethe latter rearwardly, said casing being provided with openings for therails of the track, and protectable connections between the rear end ofsaid casing and the rails of the track.

3. A car stopping mechanism, comprising slide bars positioned parallelwith the rails and inwardly thereof, transverse members beneath saidslide bars and said rails, means carried by said transverse members toslidably receive said slide bars, said transverse members connected withsaid rails for slidable movement longitudinally of the track, a buffersupported above said slide bars and connected therewith, means forbracing said bufier, a spring casing rearwardly of said slide bars, aportion of said casing being connected with said slide bars, springswithin said casing adapted to be compressed by pressure applied to saidbufier, a hinged top for said casing, and means for engaging saidtransverse members and forcing them to their limit to check the movementof said car stopping mechanism. 7

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

PHILIPP GREFFIN.

Witnesses:

ROY HERRMANN, CARL HIRLEMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G.

